I had the most wonderful time researching and writing the seventh book in the Countess of Harleigh series, AN ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO PARIS AND MURDER. Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world and that was true in the era my novels are set too. In 1900 Paris hosted both the Olympic Games and the Great Exposition, what we would call a world’s fair. It’s estimated that 54 million visitors flocked to Paris over the course of the year for one or the other of these events—mostly the exposition.
This was the third exposition France had hosted in less than thirty years. It was guaranteed to bring in travelers eager to see the sights and spend their money. On the other hand, this was only the second time the Olympics were held in the modern era. They were still an unknown quantity. Would people travel to see them or not? And if so, would the games draw tourists away from the exposition, in which France had invested a great deal of money? The exposition highlighted art and industry while the Olympics focused on sports. In the end, the exposition got all the press while the games had such a low profile, some of the contestants didn’t even realize they were participating in the Olympics.
But like France in 1900, let’s get back to the exposition. As you can see from the image at the top of the page, the grounds were spread out—540 acres of sites, venues, and structures. To get from one area to another you could take one of the steamers that acted as water busses along the Seine, like the ones above.
The first bridge in that top photo is the Alexander III Bridge, built for this exposition. To the left of that you can see the Grand Palais and almost see the Petit Palais across the street. Those three structures were built to be permanent, something I’m grateful for because they are spectacular and I can’t imagine Paris without them. Almost everything else was built for the exposition only and meant to be torn down once it was over.
That includes all the buildings on the embankment of the Seine past the second bridge in the photo. This was dubbed the Avenue of Nations. All the participating countries built structures that represented their countries and filled them with examples of their own art and industries. In addition, several huge exhibit halls were built to showcase various industries like textiles, furnishings, electricity, engineering. My guide books are very old but the photos that I could reproduce show how large and elaborate these building were, yet they were all torn down in November after the exposition closed.
That might have been part of the draw or the magic. It was one moment in time. Those who wanted to experience the thrill and grandeur of the Exposition of 1900, had to go then and there—or at least between April and November. If they didn’t, there would be no second chance, it would be gone. Today, all that’s left of what those 54 million tourists experienced are three structures. But they are beautiful structures, and with a little imagination, you may be able to picture the rest.
